| Learn how to manage the side effects of cancer | | | | - Chew fresh unsweetened pineapple chunks to |
| & its treatments. | | | | help keep your mouth fresh and moist. |
| Side Effects: | | | | - Avoid dry foods - biscuits, crackers etc |
| Some of the common symptoms of cancer are | | | | Taste changes |
| listed below. Some of them might be due to | | | | Your sense of taste might change or texture of |
| cancer, but others might be caused by its | | | | a food might seem different. It can be due to the |
| treatment: | | | | cancer or it can be a temporary change as a |
| - Tiredness (fatigue) | | | | result of cancer treatment. Sometimes you may |
| - Sleep disturbances | | | | find that all foods taste the same; or the food |
| - Loss of appetite | | | | has no taste at all; or you have a metallic taste in |
| - Feeling sick (nausea) | | | | your mouth after chemotherapy. You might no |
| - Mouth problems | | | | longer enjoy certain foods. |
| - Dry mouth | | | | Below are some points to help you ease your |
| - Taste changes | | | | condition: |
| - Sore mouth and throat | | | | - Eat foods that appeal to you and ignore those |
| - Anxiety | | | | that you do not enjoy, but try them again after a |
| - Depression | | | | few weeks because your sense of taste may |
| - Physical effects of emotion | | | | change again. |
| Tiredness (fatigue) | | | | - Use seasonings, spices and herbs to flavour |
| Feeling fatigued and exhausted all or most of the | | | | your cooking. |
| time is one of the most common and also the | | | | - Try marinating meat in fruit juices, or dress it in |
| most difficult problem for people with cancer. It | | | | strong sauces like sweet and sour or curry. |
| may be due to the treatment or the progress of | | | | - Garnish cold meats with pickle or chutney – |
| the disease, or may be a result of other | | | | it may taste better. |
| symptoms, such as breathlessness, anemia or | | | | - Fresh fruits, fruit juices and bitter boiled sweets |
| pain. For some patients, the tiredness is mild and | | | | can be refreshing and leave a pleasant taste in |
| doesn’t interfere much with their daily life. But | | | | the mouth. |
| for others, it might be disabling. | | | | - Try lemon, green tea or perhaps an ice-cold |
| Cancer patients might find it difficult to do even | | | | fizzy drink instead of tea or coffee. |
| the usual everyday tasks. They feel weak, having | | | | - Take sauces with fish, chicken and egg dishes. |
| no energy; develop forgetfulness; face difficulty in | | | | Sore mouth and throat |
| concentrating; experience light-headedness and | | | | Chemotherapy and radiotherapy can cause a sore |
| feel irritable. | | | | mouth or mouth ulcers. It may also occur if are |
| To make it easier to cope with life, take steps to | | | | not able to eat a nutritious diet, have a low |
| plan your day in order to save energy for doing | | | | immunity or have an infection of the lining of the |
| things that are most important to you. | | | | mouth or throat. |
| Understand that it is okay to accept help from | | | | Talk to your doctor about it. He might prescribe |
| others or make simple changes in the way you | | | | an antiseptic and painkilling mouthwash or a |
| do things. | | | | protective gel to ease the pain and discomfort. |
| Research says that being active helps in increasing | | | | Helpful hints if you have a sore mouth: |
| the energy levels. But if you feel too exhausted | | | | - Follow a mouth care routine as far as possible. |
| to exercise, don’t stress out yourself. Please | | | | - If you find your toothpaste to be stingy then |
| make sure to discuss with your doctor before | | | | use a mouthwash instead. |
| starting an exercise routine. | | | | - If you use dentures, then leave them out for a |
| Sleep disturbances | | | | while to prevent chafing your gums. |
| Cancer patient may experience disturbance in | | | | - Avoid tobacco, hot spices, garlic, onion, vinegar |
| their sleep. It may be due to anxiety; the | | | | and salty food – they may irritate the mouth. |
| treatments; pain; feeling sick; breathlessness; | | | | - Keep your food moist by adding gravy and |
| having diarrhea; or it may be due to staying in | | | | sauces to your food so as to make swallowing |
| hospital, where it may be noisy. | | | | easier. |
| To ease this symptom, talk to someone about | | | | - Avoid rough textured food – toast, crisps |
| your worries and concerns because counseling | | | | – they can scrape sore areas. |
| helps a lot. If possible, avoid taking naps in the late | | | | - Try drinking at least one litre of fluid a day. It |
| afternoon or evening as it will affect your sleeping | | | | may include water, tea, weak coffee, soft drinks, |
| at night. Moreover, try to keep busy during the | | | | and fruit juices. |
| day and, if you can, do a little exercise. | | | | - Use a straw for drinking. |
| You can try these steps to get a peaceful sleep: | | | | - Taking cold foods and drinks is soothing to a |
| - Maintain a regular bedtime routine. Go to bed at | | | | sore mouth. Add crushed ice to drinks; eat ice |
| the same time each night. | | | | cream etc. |
| - Your sleeping area should be as much quiet and | | | | - Take warm herbal teas instead of acidic drinks |
| comfortable as possible. | | | | (like orange and grapefruit juice) as they may be |
| - Have a warm, milky drink before going to bed. | | | | more soothing. |
| - Take a warm bath with a few drops of | | | | Constipation |
| lavender or geranium oil to relax you, or sprinkle a | | | | Constipation is caused by many things. It may |
| couple of drops on your pillow. | | | | occur due to some chemotherapy and |
| - If you have pain, try taking long-acting pain | | | | anti-sickness drugs; level of calcium in the blood is |
| killers to last all night. | | | | too high; or the bowel is blocked. Using medium |
| - Avoid taking caffeine or nicotine as it hinders in | | | | strength or strong painkillers might be the cause |
| your getting to sleep. | | | | too. Your doctor will do tests to find the exact |
| If you still find it difficult to sleep or wake up | | | | cause of the constipation. |
| early, do not worry or stress out. Just try to | | | | Helpful tips if you have constipation: |
| relax. Instead of lying awake in bed – tossing | | | | - Eat a balanced diet, including fibre-rich foods, |
| and turning – tune into radio or TV; read a | | | | fresh fruit and vegetables, cereals and wholemeal |
| book etc until you feel drowsy enough to sleep | | | | bread. |
| and then go back to bed. | | | | - Drink plenty of fluids. |
| Loss of appetite | | | | - Get some exercise –a short walk a couple |
| Most cancer patients lose their appetite and feel | | | | of times a day might help too. Ask someone to |
| nauseous. It may be either due to the cancer | | | | come with you if you can’t walk by yourself. |
| itself or the result of treatment – | | | | - Add fruits to your meals. |
| chemotherapy or radiotherapy. You might be put | | | | - Take hot lemon drinks. |
| off even by the sight and smell of the food. | | | | - If constipation remains for more than 3-4 days, |
| Try these tips to ease yourself: | | | | consult your doctor. |
| - Have small, frequent, simple meals rather than | | | | - Take plenty of fibre in your diet. |
| large plates of rich food. | | | | - If the reason of constipation is your medications |
| - Gradually add extra calories to keep the weight | | | | – painkillers or anti-sickness drugs – do not |
| steady. | | | | reduce the medication dosage. Consult your |
| - Losing weight can be distressing. Consider taking | | | | doctor or nurse about it. They will either prescribe |
| simple steps to improve your self-esteem, such | | | | a laxative or increase its dosage if you are |
| as buying some new clothes in a smaller size. | | | | already taking one. |
| - If possible, try to get someone else to prepare | | | | - Flaxseed (linseed) helps in easing constipation. |
| food for you so that you do not feel too tired to | | | | Note: Consult your doctor before taking fibre or |
| eat by the time it is ready. | | | | linseed, if you have cancer of the gullet |
| - When you are having the most difficult times, | | | | (oesophagus) or bowel. For further advice on |
| shift to a liquid diet like take some high-calorie | | | | dealing with constipation, check with your doctor. |
| drinks. You can go back to solid foods when you | | | | Diarrhoea |
| feel better. | | | | Diarrhoea can occur due to either an infection or |
| - People with advanced-stage cancer may | | | | a side effect of chemotherapy and radiotherapy. |
| become weak and not able to absorb food very | | | | Some medications may also cause diarrhoea while |
| well. In this situation, it is best to eat what you | | | | some types of cancer prevent food to be |
| want, whenever you feel able to, and not worry | | | | absorbed properly from the bowel. |
| too much about ‘healthy’ eating. | | | | When diarrhoea is a side effect of radiotherapy, |
| Feeling sick (nausea) | | | | changing the diet won’t help much. So for |
| Cancer or its treatment can sometimes cause | | | | this, the doctor will prescribe an anti-diarrhoea |
| nausea or vomiting leading to discomfort and | | | | medicine. |
| distress. Nausea may be caused by various things | | | | Helpful tips if you have diarrhoea: |
| including: radiotherapy, chemotherapy, constipation, | | | | - Cut down on fiber intake. |
| painkillers, infection, pain, a high level of calcium in | | | | - Eat cooked fruit and vegetables instead of raw |
| the blood, irritation of the stomach lining and | | | | ones. |
| blockage of the bowel. | | | | - Avoid milk and dairy products. |
| Doctors usually prescribe an anti-sickness drug to | | | | - Drink plenty of fluids. |
| overcome nausea. But it has to be taken regularly | | | | - Avoid alcohol, coffee and fizzy drinks. |
| so as to reduce the chances of sickness coming | | | | - Eat small, frequent meals made from light foods |
| back. Completely controlling the sickness caused | | | | – white fish, chicken, eggs (well cooked), white |
| by chemotherapy may not always be possible but | | | | bread, pasta or rice. |
| it can be reduced to some extent. Moreover, | | | | - Avoid highly spiced or fatty foods. |
| complementary therapies – relaxation, | | | | - Eat your meals slowly. |
| homeopathy, and acupuncture etc can be helpful | | | | - Antibiotics tend to kill helpful bacteria of bowel. |
| in reducing the sickness. | | | | Eat live yogurt to recover the damage. If you are |
| Some helpful tips for reducing nausea: | | | | undergoing chemotherapy, first check with your |
| - Eat only when you feel less sick. | | | | doctor before trying this. |
| - Avoid fatty foods, foods with a strong smell, or | | | | Note: If the diarrhoea persists for more than 2 |
| fried foods – it makes your nausea worse. | | | | days, consult your doctor. |
| - Let the food cool down before eating – the | | | | Anxiety |
| smell of hot food might make you feel sick. | | | | Anxiety is a natural and a very common |
| - Take small, light snacks during the day and | | | | emotional reaction to cancer. It may show many |
| chew the food well. | | | | physical symptoms such as: |
| - If possible, take small, regular meals. | | | | - breathing too fast |
| - Drink plenty of liquids but do not drink too much | | | | - shaking |
| before eating. | | | | - tense muscles |
| - Drink slowly in small sips. | | | | - breathlessness |
| - Try eating ginger biscuits or drinking ginger beer | | | | - dizziness |
| – ginger is quite helpful. | | | | - palpitations |
| Mouth problems | | | | - sweating |
| Mouth problems such as mouth dryness, infection | | | | - dry mouth |
| or ulcers might develop, thus affecting the eating, | | | | - feeling sick |
| drinking and the talking ability. | | | | - diarrhea |
| Following the below routines might help in | | | | - chest pain or discomfort |
| preventing or lessening the mouth problems: | | | | - a lump in the throat |
| - Use a small, soft-bristled toothbrush for brushing | | | | - pins and needles |
| teeth every morning and evening. Use a | | | | - reddening of the face and neck (flushing). |
| toothpaste with fluoride. | | | | When anxiety levels are high, you may |
| - Gently brush your tongue when cleaning your | | | | experience panic attacks. Learning some relaxation |
| teeth. But make sure that your tongue is not | | | | techniques may help you get back in control. |
| sore, otherwise don’t do it. | | | | When anxious or panicked, try taking some slow |
| - Rinse your mouth with water or an alcohol-free | | | | deep breaths and concentrate on what is |
| mouthwash. | | | | happening right at that moment. Do not stress on |
| - If you use dentures, rinse them well after meals | | | | your worries about what may happen. |
| & before use. Be sure to remove them at night | | | | Work with your doctor to figure out if your |
| and soak them in a denture solution. | | | | symptoms are related to anxiety. He may |
| - Be gentle while using dental floss. | | | | prescribe medication to ease this condition. But |
| - Moisturize your lips with Vaseline or a lip balm. | | | | even then if you feel very anxious, try counselling |
| Dry mouth | | | | or psychotherapy – it helps a lot. |
| Cancer causes saliva to be produced in low | | | | Depression |
| amounts resulting in a dry mouth which can be | | | | Depression causes many problems like difficulty in |
| quite uncomfortable and changes the way food | | | | concentrating; going to sleep; feeling tired and |
| tastes. Radiotherapy, certain drugs, feeling very | | | | lethargic. Talk to others about your concerns will |
| anxious – all make your mouth feel dry. | | | | help others to help you out. Moreover, getting |
| If you have a dry mouth, try these: | | | | help with home chores, financial advice if you |
| - Avoid mouthwashes containing alcohol because | | | | can’t work, or having someone listen to you |
| they dry out the mouth’s lining. | | | | while you talk can all help to relieve your |
| - Drink sips of water or other drinks throughout | | | | depression. |
| the day to keep your mouth moist. | | | | The physical problems that depression produces |
| - Smooth a small amount of vegetable oil on your | | | | may occur for days or weeks after diagnosis, but |
| mouth’s lining to help it keep moist. | | | | if they continue for more than three or four |
| - Moisten your lips by Vaseline or a lip balm. | | | | weeks, medical treatment may be necessary to |
| - If needed, your doctor can prescribe artificial | | | | relieve them. |
| saliva which is available as gels, sprays, pastilles or | | | | Physical effects of emotion |
| lozenges. | | | | Fear worsens the symptoms of breathlessness, |
| - Drink fluids with meals. | | | | anxiety, depression and tiredness. So treating the |
| - Include plenty of sauces and gravy with meals. | | | | emotional causes of any symptom as well as the |
| - Avoid chocolate and pastries as they tend to | | | | physical ones is very important. |
| stick to the roof of mouth. | | | | Talk to your family, friends, your specialist care |
| - Use sugar-free chewing gum to stimulate saliva | | | | team or counselors to ease yourself. Taking |
| production. | | | | some drug treatment is helpful too – like an |
| - Eat foods with a high fluid content such as jelly, | | | | anti-depressant to help your mood or a sedative |
| pureed fruits, and soft puddings. | | | | drug. |